Manufacturing Engineer

Job Description

Our client is seeking a highly skilled and strategic Manufacturing Engineer to join their Operations Engineering team. In this role, you will serve as the critical link between product design and scalable manufacturing, architecting both the physical and analytical frameworks of their production environment to maximize efficiency, quality, and safety.

While you will touch all aspects of the operational lifecycle, your primary focus will be on Manufacturing BOM (MBOM) development, physical plant layout/line design, custom tooling engineering, and the strategic procurement of critical capital machinery with long lead times.

Key Responsibilities
Process, Line Design & Plant Layout

• Spatial Architecture: Architect the physical plant floor layout using 2D/3D CAD software to optimize material flow, eliminate waste, and minimize material handling.
• Line Design & Standardization: Formulate standard operating procedures (SOPs), digital work instructions, and optimized process flows to ensure repeatable assembly quality and safety.
• Capacity & Balance: Conduct formal time studies, define work content, and establish accurate takt time metrics to balance assembly lines and match production output with market demand.

Capital Machinery & Lead Time Management

• Critical Asset Procurement: Lead the technical selection, specification, and deployment of new machinery and high-capital production equipment.
• Lead Time Mitigation: Identify critical-path production machinery early in the product lifecycle. Proactively manage vendor fabrication timelines and long lead times to ensure equipment is installed and qualified ahead of mass production deadlines.
• Risk & Acceptance Testing: Establish rigorous Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) milestones. Develop contingency plans (e.g., bridge tooling or temporary manual line layouts) to mitigate schedule risks associated with machinery delivery delays.

Manufacturing BOM (MBOM) Validation

• Transform EBOM to MBOM: Review and validate the Engineering Bill of Materials (EBOM) to construct and maintain an accurate Manufacturing BOM (MBOM).
• Shop-Floor Alignment: Verify that the MBOM structure correctly reflects real-world shop-floor consumption sequences, phantom assemblies, and point-of-use routing.
• Data Integrity: Ensure seamless data synchronization between design engineering software and shop-floor ERP/MES execution systems.

Tooling, Fixture Development & DFM

• Custom Tooling Solutions: Deliver custom tooling, jigs, and fixture designs from concept to deployment to support safety, improve ergonomics, and enhance manufacturing precision.
• Poka-Yoke Integration: Implement mistake-proofing (poka-yoke) mechanisms within tooling and line design to eliminate defects at the source.
• DFM & Prototyping: Partner with Product Design early in the development cycle to conduct Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews. Lead the building and operational validation of prototype units on the manufacturing floor to identify bottlenecks before full-scale launch.

Qualifications & Skills

Required

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience: 3-5+ years of experience in a manufacturing engineering environment, with a heavy emphasis on line layout design, custom tooling, and BOM management.
• CAPEX & Vendor Management: Proven experience managing CAPEX projects, conducting equipment ROI analyses, and managing heavy machinery vendors.
• CAD Proficiency: Strong experience with CAD software (e.g., AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Catia) for plant layout and tooling design.
• BOM & ERP Expertise: Deep understanding of PLM/ERP systems and the structural workflow differences between EBOMs and MBOMs.
• Lean Manufacturing: Practical knowledge of Lean principles (5S, Value Stream Mapping, Line Balancing).

Preferred

• Proven track record of de-risking long-lead-time machinery schedules during a new product introduction (NPI) phase.
  Experience establishing FAT/SAT protocols for automated or semi-automated production equipment.

Work Environment

• Non-temperature controlled environment with loud noises, dust, dirt, and metal particles that are usually associated with metal fabrication shops. All employees are required to wear personal protective equipment to include noise/hearing protection, safety glasses with side shields, (paint masks, respirator, when required) and OSHA compliant safety boots/shoes within the manufacturing facility.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Thursday, 5:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.